“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!"
~ Deuteronomy 30:19
When I realize I am getting the same message from two different places, this time both on the same day, I feel as if God is issuing a wake up call. And this time it is a call to life. Simple, and yet utterly profound.
Choose life!
What does it mean to choose life?
This verse comes at the end of a book of Old Testament law. But, as I looked at this I thought, how does life fit into a book of the law? The law brings death. Romans 7:10 says "I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death." Although living in such a way as to fulfill the law would bring life, it was humanly impossible to do so, which meant that inevitably, the law brought death.
So what is the relevance of this verse for me now, in the New Testament covenant age.
I began to think about what Jesus said about the law in the New Testament. Mark 12:28-332 - One of the teachers of the law came and . . . asked Him, "Of all the commandments, which is the most important?" "The most important one," answered Jesus "is this: 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is One. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these." Jesus stated that the law could be summed up in two main points - Love the Lord with all your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself.
But, thinking about this, I felt like I was still thinking in terms of law. I am commanded to love. But love given as the result of a command somehow doesn't seem very . . . well . . . loving. And the law does not feel very life giving at all. So how does this all go together? How do I choose life now, in the age of the New Covenant? Then, as I thought more about the commandment to love God with all my heart I also remembered the verse that says perfect love casts out all fear. Hmm, I thought, maybe this is the missing piece here. If I seek to truly love God, I will seek to know Him. And as I learn to know Him I will begin to understand the incredible depth of His love for me. In 1 John it says - There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. 1 John 4:18 It is in that understanding of His love for me that I will find life, and then, be able to choose to live in that life. In Romans we read "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28 Out of that place of security will be born a love for God. And a natural result of loving God is love for those around me. And as I reach out in love I will begin to live in the community that He originally intended for me to live.
And it is in this circle of relationship that I find myself choosing life. And how does this life look? I'm sure it looks different for each of us but here are some thoughts.
Knowing that God loves me allows me to trust that what He says is for my good. It allows me to know that His Word can be trusted and gives me the courage to follow Him with confidence. Since His Word is filled with guidance from Him so that I can live my best life in His love, I can step forward without fear. I have the responsibility to live my best life, the one He created me to live, because this is the best way to show my love for Him. It is this life that He created me for that brings glory to Him. And, because this life is exactly what I was created for, this is the life that brings me the most joy and fulfillment as well.
It is truly life giving to know that no matter what else happens I always have God on my side and He will never leave me or forsake me. Therefore, I can feel safe in opening up to those around me. I can be real and honest, without undue fear of loss of relationships, because I know that I have the most important relationship already. And since God teaches us to live in community, I know that this is for my good as well so I do not have to fear doing so.
Choosing life means choosing God, the giver of all life. Choosing God means that no weapon formed against me will prosper, no storm can sink me, and that His plans to prosper me, for His glory, will come to fruition. Choosing life, choosing God, also means that sometimes life will look different than what I had planned, and that I have to trust His definition of prosperity, safety, and security more than my own. And that's okay, because He has also promised that all things work together for good to those who love God. So, no matter how things look at any given moment, good or bad to my human understanding, I can choose to live a life of love, freedom, and courage in Him.
This is the only way to truly live.
I choose life!
And it is in this circle of relationship that I find myself choosing life. And how does this life look? I'm sure it looks different for each of us but here are some thoughts.
Knowing that God loves me allows me to trust that what He says is for my good. It allows me to know that His Word can be trusted and gives me the courage to follow Him with confidence. Since His Word is filled with guidance from Him so that I can live my best life in His love, I can step forward without fear. I have the responsibility to live my best life, the one He created me to live, because this is the best way to show my love for Him. It is this life that He created me for that brings glory to Him. And, because this life is exactly what I was created for, this is the life that brings me the most joy and fulfillment as well.
It is truly life giving to know that no matter what else happens I always have God on my side and He will never leave me or forsake me. Therefore, I can feel safe in opening up to those around me. I can be real and honest, without undue fear of loss of relationships, because I know that I have the most important relationship already. And since God teaches us to live in community, I know that this is for my good as well so I do not have to fear doing so.
Choosing life means choosing God, the giver of all life. Choosing God means that no weapon formed against me will prosper, no storm can sink me, and that His plans to prosper me, for His glory, will come to fruition. Choosing life, choosing God, also means that sometimes life will look different than what I had planned, and that I have to trust His definition of prosperity, safety, and security more than my own. And that's okay, because He has also promised that all things work together for good to those who love God. So, no matter how things look at any given moment, good or bad to my human understanding, I can choose to live a life of love, freedom, and courage in Him.
This is the only way to truly live.
I choose life!
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